


Similar Tastes

by Turbulent_Muse



Category: Hannibal (TV), Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Gen, Light Swearing, Puns & Word Play, Season/Series 01, Yes this is a real recipe that Hannibal has canonically in the show, canon typical cannibalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 16:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17686685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turbulent_Muse/pseuds/Turbulent_Muse
Summary: Eddie ends up at Hannibal Lecter's house for dinner. Things go about how you'd expect.





	Similar Tastes

Eddie Brock has graduated from interviewing serial killers, like Cletus Kasady, to interviewing those who catch them, like the FBI.

He’s just a bit nervous being around law enforcement, but he never shows it. He has managed to make his work life feel completely separate from all other parts of his life and whenever he feels uncomfortable he just taps into the part of himself that feels _invincible_. So to the BAU he appears cool and confident.

Will Graham is a difficult man to interview. He hates talking to anyone, but especially the press. But, while interviewing the people Will works with it becomes clear that Will is the main attraction here and anything Eddie writes will have to center around him. Also, he’s read the Tattle Crime articles and he wants to treat Will better than Freddie Lounds has. Get the real truth out there.

He tries asking Will’s coworkers about him with mixed success.

“I would never talk to you about Will.” Alana Bloom tells him. “He would never forgive me for it.”

“He’s pretty antisocial,” Beverly Katz offers up. “But what he can do is amazing and he’s a good person. Even if he does get dog hair on the evidence sometimes.”

“Will Graham is why we catch so many killers.” Jack Crawford says firmly. “That’s all there is to say.”

“I would consider discussing Will to be a breach of doctor patient confidentiality. Even though Will is not officially my patient.”

“Come on, Dr. Lecter, there must be something you can say about the guy.” Eddie is getting desperate.

“I’m terribly sorry Mr. Brock.” Hannibal replies. “But, I am having Will over for dinner tonight, perhaps you would like to join us.”

“Sounds great.”

……

When Eddie arrives at Hannibal’s house and is ushered into the dining room he finds Will already there waiting for him and looking grumpy.

“Mr. Brock.” Will gives a cold greeting as Eddie sits down next to him.

“Mr. Graham.” Eddie says much more warmly.

“Forgive me if I choose my words carefully tonight.” Will says, still with some anger in his tone. “I’ve…made mistakes with reporters before.”

“Don’t worry Mr. Graham, tonight is completely off the record. I was just hoping that if we got to know each other a bit better you’d be more open to an interview.”

“I’ll believe that when I don’t see it in the headlines.”

“Fair enough.”

Then Hannibal brings out the food.

“Parmesan crusted lamb brains.” Hannibal announces.

Eddie gets an odd look on his face.

“You probably should've gone easy on him, Hannibal.” Will says. “I doubt Mr. Brock is used to the kind of exotic food you usually make.”

“No, no it’s completely fine.” Eddie assures them. “Trust me, I’ve eaten much weirder.” He takes a bite of the food on his plate and chews it thoughtfully. Then he takes another, even more thoughtful, bite. Then he drops his fork. It hits his plate with a small clang that brings all attention to him.

“Um, excuse me I uh, I need a minute to, uh, where’s your bathroom?”

Hannibal points him in the right direction and he rushes off, shutting and locking the door behind him when he gets there and bracing himself on the sink as he looks in the mirror.

“Venom?” Eddie asks quietly.

_**I thought this was a ‘me thing’.** _

The voice only Eddie can hear says resentfully.

“Special circumstances, buddy. Am I eating what I think I’m eating?”

_**Yes. It’s human.** _

“What the fuck.” Eddie whispers.

……

Eddie walks back into the dinning room to find Will and Hannibal deep in conversation. As he makes his way back to his seat the conversation stops.

“I hope you are feeling better now, Mr. Brock.” Hannibal says, seemingly genuinely.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I just needed a minute.”

Hannibal smiles. “I hope it wasn’t my cooking that caused you such distress.”

“No. Not the cooking.” Eddie says and he shoots Hannibal a dark look. Hannibal wonders if he _knows_.

Hannibal takes a bite of his food and Eddie stares daggers at him as he does. Okay, he _knows_.

He _knows_ from the _taste_.

But then he keeps eating it, and goes back to acting cheerful. So maybe he doesn’t _know_?

This is a reaction Hannibal has never experienced before, his curiosity demands he gather more data.

……

Hannibal is responsible for what’s on their plates, Eddie can infer that much from the man’s lack of reaction to his hostile looks. But he has to be sure, so he prods like the journalist he is.

“So, where do you get your meat?”

“Oh, I have a very prestigious butcher. And I personally choose every animal that ends up on my plate.”

Eddie takes another bite. “And, uh, how do you choose which ones are fit to eat?”

“I’ve developed a sense, over the years, of which ones will be the most satisfying.” He smirks at Eddie who smiles hollowly back. “You yourself seem familiar with this dish. Is there a story there?”

“Yes, a long one. Let’s just say that in my past experience it’s been a little more rare. And fresh. That’s why it took me some time to realize exactly how familiar I was with what I was putting in my mouth.”

“Why, Mr. Brock, if this meat were any fresher the poor thing would still be alive.”

Eddie meets Hannibal’s gaze steadily. “Like I said, long story.”

If Will is paying much attention to their conversation he doesn’t show it. He’s probably just glad that the attention is no longer on him, so he focuses on his meal. Eddie fights the urge to take the plate away from him. Now isn’t the time for something so unsubtle and knowing what exactly he was eating would just hurt him.

“Do you ever feel sorry? For the lamb I mean.” He says instead.

“Never. I find most of them to be loud, obnoxious, and filthy creatures.”

“That’s no reason for something to die.”

“And yet here we both sit, both familiar with the meat on our plates.”

“True, but if bad manners is all it takes for something’s life to be forfeit I feel like I should be worried.”

“Now now Mr. Brock, so far you have been the perfect dinner guest. I would very much like to have you at my table again.”

Eddie recognizes the threat in Hannibal’s words. “We’ll see. I’m leaving town pretty soon.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. So, what factors have to be present for _you_ to consider the poor lamb’s death justified?”

“Well, first of all, I have to be hungry.”

“Of course.”

“But that’s pretty much a given. Y’see,” Eddie stares directly into Hannibal’s eyes, adding his own threat into the mix. “I’m _always_ hungry.”

They finish the meal going back and forth like this, both admitting nothing and both trusting that the other will catch their double meanings. Then Hannibal clears their plates, leaving Eddie alone with Will.

“For someone who claims to want to interview _me_ , you sure seemed interested in Hannibal.”

“Yeah, well, he’s an interesting guy.” Eddie replies.

“I must admit I wasn’t paying much attention to your conversation. I was distracted by a case I’m working on.”

“That’s, uh, that’s probably for the best. It was some pretty boring stuff.”

Hannibal reenters the room.

“Well, this has been a lovely, _interesting_ evening, but now I’m afraid it’s time that the two of you head home.”

“Actually,” Eddie chimes in. “I was hoping I could stay and help with the dishes.”

“If you insist.” Hannibal smiles.

……

Eddie waits until the both of them are busy scrubbing plates until he starts talking.

“Let’s cut the shit. I _know_. And you know I _know_.”

“And I know _how_ you _know_.”

“Right.”

“So neither of us knows anything about the other that the other doesn’t know about us. Logically this should not make us enemies. Logically we should react by dining together more often.”

“Yep. I figure you’ll try to kill me anyway though.”

Hannibal takes a large knife and plunges it into Eddie’s chest.

“You’re right.” He says smugly as Eddie gasps in pain.

Hannibal watches as Eddie stumbles back, grabs the knife, removes it, and…doesn’t bleed out. In fact he seems completely fine. He brings the knife to the sink and starts washing it as Hannibal stares with raised eyebrows.

“It’s a shame, this was my best shirt.” Eddie says casually. Hannibal goes back to washing dishes beside him.

“Do _you_ plan to kill _me_?” He asks just as casually.

Eddie sighs. “That would make this so much easier.” He says with annoyance. “But you’ve got too many people who’d miss you who also work for the FBI.”

Hannibal smirks. Eddie continues.

“Besides, surprisingly, my other doesn’t particularly want to eat you. And he’s the one with the teeth, so…”

“Your other?” Hannibal questions.

“Yeah.” Eddie declines to explain further. “He’s got a theory about you.”

“May I speak directly to this ‘other’ of yours? Is he here now?”

Eddie laughs. “Sure man, if you _really_ wanna.”

Then Eddie Brock becomes something that’s… _not_ Eddie Brock.

Pitch black tarry slime covers him and coalesces into a vaguely human shape that towers over Hannibal, has blank white eyes, and whose mouth contains a multitude of long sharp teeth. Which are shown off nicely by its wide grin.

Hannibal raises both his eyebrows but does not drop the plate he’s holding. He nonchalantly goes back to washing it. “And what do I call you, Mr. Eddie Brock’s other?”

“Venom.”

“Pleased to meet you, Venom.”

“Likewise. But I wish you had screamed.” Venom leans in close and flicks his tongue in front to Hannibal’s face. “It’s funny when people scream.”

Hannibal frowns, but otherwise dismisses the comment. “May I ask what you are?”

“I am from outer space, I came here to eat. Then I found Eddie. Now we are _we_ and we only eat bad people.”

“Are you beholden to Eddie then, must you do as he says?” Hannibal asks.

“No!” Venom insists with wounded pride.

“Then why temper your appetite?”

“It is…better to cooperate with Eddie. To not be alone.”

“I see. I disagree, but I understand the desire not to dine by one’s self.”

“Yes. That is why I wish to spare you. We saw the way you looked at Will, the warmth in your eyes, the way you hung on his every word.”

“What is your point?” Hannibal says darkly.

“I think you are like me, Hannibal the Cannibal, and he is your Eddie. He will change you, temper _your_ appetite.”

“And if you are wrong? If I change him instead?”

“Hmm. That would be…unfortunate. But there is nothing we could do to stop you without risking ourselves. We are at a stalemate.” Venom says sadly. Then he sinks back into Eddie.

“I guess that is all we have to say to each other then.”

“Not quite. You may have won for now, but if you value your life stay the hell away from San Francisco.”

“Understood.”

Eddie nods then turns to leave. Hannibal thrusts a knife deep into his back.

“Ow! Jesus!” Eddie says like its a stubbed toe or other minor annoyance. Except that his voice sounds odd, probably from the punctured lung. “Shit! Can you get that? I can’t reach.”

Hannibal sees an inky dark tendril form on Eddie’s shoulder, remove the knife, and drop it on the floor. Eddie coughs up some blood then turns around.

“You severed my spinal cord, stabbed my heart, and punctured my lung all at once.” Eddie pauses. “I’m actually a little impressed.”

“As am I, at your resilience.”

“You owe me a new shirt _and_ a new jacket now.” Eddie says and starts walking to the door again. “I’m gonna leave before you somehow ruin my pants. Goodbye Dr. Lecter.”

“Farewell, Mr. Brock.”

And the two killers part ways, both full of both frustration and curiosity directed at each other. But, as they are indeed at a stalemate for now, their lives go on.

Will finally grants Eddie an interview. Eddie goes back to San Francisco. He writes his article. He makes Will look good and doesn’t mention Hannibal once. About a week after his return he finds a package on his doorstep containing a new dress shirt and jacket. He accepts the gift, despite the rather ugly pattern.

He also does some research, then he starts keeping tabs on the Chesapeake Ripper case.

Hannibal, meanwhile, does his own research and takes an interest in the the San Francisco based vigilante known as The Lethal Protector.

Years later, when the phrase “Hannibal the Cannibal” has been trademarked by Dr. Frederick Chilton, Venom is pissed because he came up with it first.


End file.
